For the last 21 years (12 with The Hockey News) Dobber has reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

The 22^nd annual review will appear here on Dobber Hockey throughout the summer. This is not a review of the likely performance on the ice or in the standings, but in the realm of fantasy hockey both for the season ahead as well as the foreseeable future. Offensively, will the team perform? Are there plenty of depth options worthy of owning in keeper leagues? What about over the next two or three years? These questions are taken into consideration when looking at the depth chart and the player potential on that depth chart.

Enjoy!

** Be sure to pick up your copy of the 2024-2025 Fantasy Hockey Guide **

Gone – Linus Ullmark, Jake DeBrusk, Matt Grzelcyk, Danton Heinen, Derek Forbort, Jakub Lauko

Incoming – Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, Joonas Korpisalo, Mark Kastelic, Max Jones

Impact of Changes – There's absolutely no denying the strength of this Boston Bruins club lies on its blue-line and between its pipes, as the Bruins run out a backend of beastly rearguards that, with the addition of Zadorov, are sure to be a punishing physical force for opponents to face this upcoming season. Sprinkle in the newly-minted long-term number one netminder in Jeremy Swayman, fresh off a great regular and postseason showing, and this Bruins team will undoubtedly be a tough group to play against in their own zone.

However, is the addition of a guy in Elias Lindholm coming off a campaign of only 15 goals enough to kick-start Boston's offense that ultimately was a major part of the team's downfall?

Lindholm is a prime bounce-back candidate who should see a significant fantasy boost in value and offensive output feeding the puck to the ever-dangerous David Pastrnak, but he's only one player and the Bruins are still a weak team up the middle relying heavily on Charlie Coyle and 20-year-old second-year player Matthew Poitras. If the team really wants to turn the page and go on a prolonged run past the second round, it needs to improve on its offense that saw them finish 13th in the NHL in scoring. The B's will also need to improve on the man advantage as their power-play unit was outside the top-10 in efficiency (13th-best, clicking at 22.2%).

Ready For Full Time – Boston's relatively thin forward group, especially in the bottom six, should create some chances for a prospect or two from the Bruins' pool to get a legitimate look at not only cracking the big club's roster out of training camp, but to also stick in the NHL and get some legitimate minutes this campaign. However, given the amount of success Boston has tasted recently, only missing out on the playoffs twice in the past 17 seasons, their prospect cupboard is pretty bare when it comes to NHL-ready talent.

The clear cut forward target to make some noise this year is former 21st-overall pick Fabian Lysell who enters his fourth NHL training camp with the potential to be a dynamic offensive winger with speed to burn. Lysell's 50 points in 56 games for Providence in the AHL last season is likely the main indication of his NHL readiness, so taking a shot on the 21-year-old Swede at the end of drafts on the keeper/dynasty side of things could up being a deep cut that pays off by the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

If not Lysell, the safer and much more obvious choice would be Poitras who registered 15 points in 35 games last year as a 19-year-old rookie for the Bruins.

Fantasy Outlook – Following two historically-good regular seasons that saw the Bruins register a crooked 249 points combined, the pressure is definitely on Jim Montgomery and his staff to perform after getting rudely bounced by the Florida Panthers in back-to-back fashion. After the few surefire selections off the top of this roster, be very wary of where you draft some of the Bruins' peripheral pieces. Swayman, Lindhom, Pastrnak, and Charlie McAvoy should all be considered elite options all taken before the end of the sixth-or-seventh rounds of fantasy drafts, but after that, pick your poison for what is sure to be a tipping point-type year in BeanTown.

Overall Grade – B- (Last year: C+)